Blog

You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension of endless meetings, conversations, and conference calls; a journey into a torturous land whose boundaries lack imagination. It is an area that we call . . .the Repetition Zone!

For the third week in a row, I found myself included in a clients’ sales management call. What I experienced terrified and bored me to tears: Seconds turned into minutes…minutes turned into what felt like hours (it was only actually about 25 minutes long)!! A steady stream of management repeating the same information over and over and…over and over… A steady stream of management repeating the same information over and over and…over and over…ARGH!!!

There are many times when repetition can be a good thing: trying to remember new faces, studying for exams, and even scoring shots in a game. But no one likes to be held hostage by an endless cycle of the same information being repeated over and over again in different ways by different people. It’s not just counter-intuitive, it’s plain painful.

What are some ways we can put an end to this reoccurring atrocity??

• Cut down on unnecessary meetings: More meetings do not always equate to more productivity/sales. If you can predict a meeting’s content word for word, then thin out its frequency. That wasted 1+ hour could be better used as additional work time.

• Stop Talking about it and do something: If everyone already knows there is a problem, implement a solution. Do not keep reporting on the issue thinking that you are going to talk it to death. It doesn’t work and you are putting your employees to sleep.

• Redirect your focus: If there is an unfixable issue that hovers over your head like a gray cloud, perhaps it’s time to shift your focus to a problem that you can actually correct. A new focus will not only rejuvenate content, but can also stimulate creativity.

What are your repetition zone horror stories? How do you cope with monotonous meetings? Leave a comment below – we’d love to hear your feedback.